Construction worker in North Naples dies from apparent heat stroke

A North Naples construction worker died from an apparent heat stroke Monday afternoon, authorities said.

Luke K. Sannicandro, 37, of Naples Park was working on the roof of a house along East Avenue north of Pine Ridge Road about 4 p.m. Monday when he said he felt sick from the heat, Collier County deputies reported Tuesday. The temperature at the time was above 90 degrees.

Sannicandro was told to come down from the roof and rest until he felt better. He sat on a pile of debris for a short time as others continued to work.

When the workers returned to the ground about a half-hour later, they did not see Sannicandro.

A worker went into the first floor of the house and yelled Sannicandro's name when he found him on the ground shaking slightly.

The men called 911 and attempted CPR until paramedics arrived.

The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety & Health Administration is investigating Sannicandro's death, a spokesman said Tuesday evening.

Andy Perez, 40, of Naples said he has known Sannicandro and his family for years. Before construction work, Sannicandro was a barber, Perez said.

“Luke was a very spirited young guy,” Perez said. “He was different than any other person I could describe. He had a passion for music. He loved his hip-hop, but it was a different thing. He was into hip-hop’s roots, the message it used to send, the positivity.”

Perez said he kept in touch with Sannicandro through social media and had run into him a few times in town.

Sannicandro’s older sister, Leah, died a few years ago, so this is another tragedy for the family, Perez said.